I did not realize the impact TBI had on my life til my later years. My first injury was when I was 15 years old. I was on a Mediterranean Cruise with my mother and younger brother. My brother and I crossed the street across from the ship in the Port of Piraeus, Greece. I ran across the road and was hit by a motorcycle, flipped up in the air and landed on my head. I know I was out for a while but I heard my brother's screams and things began to focus a little. I was taken back to the ship, where my family pediatrician, who was also on the cruise, put a neck brace on me. The rest of the cruise is blurry but I remember sitting on a bus while everyone visited the Parthenon and then a little of the plane trip home.

I was a straight A student who suddenly dropped out of school and tried to make sense of my new world, while my family decided I was just an "outsider" who refused their conventional wisdom or whatever people who don't understand TBi tell themselves.

I had my second injury from my first husband who beat me for breathing too loud. It was a very confusing time for me and I still cannot comprehend how anyone could do this to another human being. He slammed my head into the concrete floor and pulled the phone out of the wall while I was talking to my father. The police showed up while I sat outside with my daughters and my baby son (1 week old) still locked inside the house. I am not real clear on how I got away from him before the police showed up, but I know he wasn't charged for his crimes.

My third injury sounds like a joke but it was anything but funny. My boyfriend's son had done the wiring on a Haunted House and we went to do a "walk-through". It was a maze and very dark. A 'spook" snuck up on me and tapped me on the shoulder and when I turned and saw this ghostly, ghastly face right on my shoulder I jumped and ran and smacked my head into an invisible wall only a few feet away. I hit the floor and was carried out of the maze. This was Oct. 2, 2001. I later went to the hospital and told them something was wrong, so they did an xray and said your're okay, nothings broken! Okay, well that's a relief. NOT! I still have a dent in my head from that.

In August 2002, we were out on the boat, in a no-wake zone and somehow hit a huge wake. The boat started rocking like a bucking bronco and I was slamming my head against the steering trying to do something! I was trying to reach the throttle, thinking I could slow the engine. Everytime I reached to pull the throttle back, I think my arm hit it and pushed it. I was hitting the steering wheel with my head every time it bucked and still trying to gain control of the boat. A friend in the front of the boat kept trying to move to where I was and he finally screamed at me to turn off the ignition! So, I did that and it all stopped. Our friend had broken several ribs trying to get to where I was, my boyfriend was out in the water somewhere! I turned the boat back on , picked him up and sat down and let him drive us back to the dock. We dropped R(friend) off at the fire station and let them take him to the hospital. I think we were all in shock.

September 2003, my son pulled out in front of a rock hauling truck and I thought my life was over. I looked up and saw that truck coming at us very fast and no way to avoid it hitting us. We were T boned and pushed into a ditch right in front of the Fire Station, so all the EmT's were there and most of them witnessed the accident. I couldn't move, coudn't react, even when my son could have been hurt. I was frozen and just trying to somehow reconnect myself to my body. I dont' know how much time passed but I finally got up, got out of the car and went inside to the fire station and called my boyfriend to come and take us home.

I will try to finish this story soon, but I am very happy to be 3 years now since my last injury and learning to adjust and hopefully stay safe. September 27, 2006

Email Carol